Don't WorryMatthew 6:1-34"Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2 When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do-blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3 But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5 "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.7 "When you pray, don't babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:…Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.10 May your Kingdom come soon.…May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.…11 Give us today the food we need,(Or Give us today our food for the day; or Give us today our food for tomorrow.)…12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13 And don't let us yield to temptation,(Or And keep us from being tested.)but rescue us from the evil one.(Or from evil. Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.)14 "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.…16 "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair(Greek anoint your head.) and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Teaching about Money and Possessions

19 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. …21 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 22 "Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! 24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. …They don't work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?31 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.33 Seek the Kingdom of God(Some manuscripts do not include of God.)] above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.…34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

Along with the Pharisees' concern for material gain came the problem of anxiety (6:25).

The command "don't worry" was repeated three times (6:25, 31, 34) for emphasis.

When God is the master of a person's life, that person has no need to be anxious about his physical needs.

This does not mean that believers should refuse to work and expect God to provide for them.

The fulfillment of human responsibility is necessary (like the bird that is fed only by seeking the food that has been provided).

God will meet the needs of those who responsibly seek to obey him. With the problem of daily provision solved, believers are free to seek more important things in life, such as the kingdom of heaven (6:33).In Matthew 5 the Father was presented as the model for perfect righteousness (5:21-48).

Therefore, God the Father was the one to please with obedience and to seek after, not the hypocritical Jewish leaders (Matthew 6). In Matthew 7 a starting place for curing hypocrisy (for effecting true repentance) was presented; it called believers and any person who might judge other people to purify their own lives first before trying to change others (7:1-27; especially 7:5).

PREVIEW"I'm not worried," we say nervously, "just quite concerned."Life is full of concerns-fleeting, chronic, financial, relational, mild, or severe. These worries can drive us crazy just thinking about them. They can also cause us to question our faith in God.

Does God care about our concerns?

Is he doing anything to help us out?In this passage, Jesus points out the lessons in trust that we can learn from nature, assuring us of the futility of worry and of the certainty of God's care.

As you read, strengthen your dependence on God's gracious care, and watch your worries melt away.PERSONAL APPLICATIONJesus knew that his disciples naturally worried about having enough of life's necessities, so he reassured them that God would provide for their needs. He pointed out that God provides for the animal kingdom, so he also would provide for them-they mattered much more than the animals (Matthew 6:25-34).Worrying about our needs accomplishes nothing and ignores the fact that God works to meet those needs. Jesus didn't tell his disciples to be lazy or not to work, just to trust God and not to worry.Do what you can about the concerns you have, but also realize that God, who loves and cares for you, has made provision for them as well. He will not let your needs overwhelm you. Whenever worries plague you, follow these three steps: (1) tell God about your concerns, asking him to provide for your needs;

(2) do what you humanly can to work on your concerns; and

(3) trust in God's goodness-remember that he cares for you more than even you care for yourself and will provide all you need at the right time.

The command don't worry about everyday life does not imply complete lack of concern, nor does it call people to be unwilling to work and supply their own needs. Food, drink, and clothes are less important than the life and body that they supply. Because God sustains our lives and gives us our bodies, we can trust him to provide the food and clothing he knows we need. Worry immobilizes us, but trust in God moves us to action. We work for our money to supply food and clothing, but we must always remember that these ultimately come from God's hands. When the need arises, we need not worry, for we know that our God will supply.